Understanding Cyberstalking Impact: Student Class Level and Generation Status as Moderating Factors

• In Event: Understanding Experiences of Cyber-stalking, Technology-supported Violence and Cyber-bullying

Abstract

Cyberstalking victimization is a growing concern among college students globally. Although this concept has been investigated by some researchers, how the impact of cyberstalking victimization on students’ mental health and academic endeavor is influenced by student`s positionality is yet to be clearly understood. This study aimed to examine the moderating effects of students’ class level and generation status on the association between cyberstalking victimization, academic motivation, and mental health outcomes controlling for gender and income. Data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of undergraduate students (N=328; 59.5% female; X̅ age=19.8, SD=1.72) to examine the relationships among cyberstalking victimization(dichotomous), academic motivation (α=.80, 8 items), anxiety (α=.91, 7 items), depression (α=.85, 20 items), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (α=.95, 17 items). Initial findings indicated that cyberstalking victimization is negatively associated with academic motivation (β= -.17, p < .001), positively associated with mental health outcomes (anxiety [β= .16, p < .001], depression [β= .12, p < .001], PTSD [β= .27, p < .001]), and that generation status (interaction effect: β=.17, p=.001) and class level (interaction effect: β=.22, p=.002) moderated the relationship between cyberstalking and academic motivation, respectively. This study will inform educators, policymakers, and professionals across fields in preventing cyberstalking among different student groups.

Authors

• Kenneth Onyekachi Ugwu, Texas Tech University

• Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo, Texas Tech University